Black Hills Jam - Preserves Vol.2 by Jam Camp

Hailing from the Pacific northwest, this dual guitar led quintet hearkens memories of the early Grateful Dead style of jamming, amid a touch of progressive rock, jazz, Southern rock and more. Marked by clean licks, and a glowing sound, the band merges melodic choruses with in-the-pocket grooves amid a few quotes lifted from Santana and C, S, N &Y. At times, the overall vibe might be reminiscent of those classic, ‘60s and ‘70s outdoor rock festivals. But the band leans a bit more towards the jazz realm, largely due to Steven Munger’s hard-boiled sax work. Either way, it’s tastefully done! And it’s not all about endless riffing and technical calisthenics as the soloists’ generally rework a given melody amid climactically oriented movements.

The group abides by a tension and relief motif as guitarists Michael Smith (stereo right) and David Broyles (stereo left) raise the ante on several occasions in concert with counterbalancing themes. Nonetheless, there’s quite a bit of substance inherent with this surprisingly focused and purposeful jam-based outing. (Recommended.... )